(Un)Kill(ed) Bill(s): The Coming of the Biometric Database

Every week the Knesset passes laws that affect our lives…or someone’s life. Here are the ones that were passed last week.

Biometric Database Law – Government Bill – We wrote about the first reading of the law in the past. Some say this will make the government more efficient and identity fraud harder to achieve, while others believe this is the sign of the devil’s imminent arrival. There will be a chip with a picture and a finger print sample in ID documents. In addition a national database will be kept of pictures for the sake of comparison when verifying documents. Someone can also opt to include their fingerprints in that database. If they do so, the documents will be updated every 10 years. Without the fingerprints it will be every 5 (because faces change quicker than fingerprints). After a protest from Yisrael Beitenu, the police will only be able to use the database with a warrant from the district court. Additional changes will be made by July 3rd 2017 after further observation of the program.

Election Amendment – Committee Bill – Not much to see here. Some regulations regarding the counsels that oversee elections and how they may investigate strange occurrences. It is these kind of laws that you hope are never necessary, but are really the backbone of democracy

Post Office Amendment – Government Bill – Allows various state institutions to send official mail under the name “State of Israel”. Sadly, there’s nothing here requiring the doar to actually deliver mail.